Sealing means for valves



y 15, 1952 J H. H. OVERHOLSER ETAL 3, 9

SEALING MEANS FOR VALVES Filed April 30, 1946 s e e easily removedandreplaced,econo'mical of manurotor.

purposes of illustration,

= therefrom and is Patented July 15, 1952 2,603,449 I surm se i ANs rort vALv s J Homer H. Ovcrholser and Morgan-Sweeney, Los Angeles,0alif.,assignorS, .by mesneiassign-f.

v ments,;to Air Valve, Inc., Burbank,

corporation of California Application April 30,1946, Serial No. 666,117"

' Claims. (01. 251-403) Ou'rinvention relatesto sealing means forcontrol valves, more particularly to sealing means i for high pressurevalves having a rotary or oscillating movement. Among the objects ofourin- "v e'n'tiorrare?"- Fir'stytoprovidea sealing-means which maybe-employed without change on either: the intake'or discharge sides ofthe valve. l.

to provide a sealing -means which is facture,-and which makes possible-asimple and economical valve'; eventhough intended 'for severe andexacting use. I I

, Th ird to provide; a sealing means which although effectinga'fiuid-tight seal evenat high pressuresoffersa minimum of resistance tomovementofthe valve rotor.

"Fourth, to provide a=sealing means which incorporates-a novel flexiblediaphragm movable in sucha manner that irrespective of whether thesealing me'ans is located on the discharge or low pressure side of thevalve, or on the intake 'or highpressure side'thereof, an' unbalanced'pr'es'sure area is established urgingthe sealing element into sealingengagement with the valve Fifth, to provide a sealing means which makesuse in a novel manner of a sealing element of jthe type commonly knownas the O-ringJ With the-above and other objects in -view, ref- -er enceis directed to-the accompanying drawv 'Figure 2 isan end view'of thevalve housing with the-intake or 'discharge'fitting as the case may beremoved, exposing the sealing means, the

view being taken'along' the plane 22 ofFig. 1.

f-Figure 3 is an enlarged elevational viewof our sealing means removedfrom-the va1ve.

"Figure 1 is a partial -felevational, partial "sec- 'tional view of avalve incorporating our sealin means-i 5 Figure 4 is a fragmental endsectiona1 viewthereof.

Our sealing means may be-adapted for use in control valves of varioustypes, i. e., control valves having one or several inlets and outlets.For

however, a valve body having a single inlet and outlet is' shown- Thevalve body I is provided with a rotor bore 2 which receives a rotor orcore 3. The rotor is operated by a shaft 4 which extends. axially At'least one of the ,valvebody. passages.' (e. :g.,

-. passage. 1). is greater in diameter than thelrotor providedwithahandletfii; The i rotor 3 is, provided, with.a jfluidpassage 16',and the valve body defines passages"! and 8..Which "inter'sect'the rotor3.

.2 1 fluid passage Band is adaptedto receive a mounting ring 9. One'endof the mounting ring-9 confronts the rotor 3 and is shaped intoconformity therewith. The outer margin of this end of the mounting ringis provided with'an "annular'grooveor shoulder .ID which follows thecontour of the rotor 3. The groove In receives a sealing ring- H; Thesealing ring Il may be a conventional o -ring'bent-into conformity withthe mounting ring and its'groove. The O-ring is secured in the groove 10by a suitable'adhesive [2. The side of the O-ring confronting'the rotorprojects axially beyond thegroove 'lll a slight distance so that thesealing ring, rather than the mounting ring, forms the sealingconnection with the rotor 3.

Theaxial end of the mounting ring 9 remote from-the rotor 3 is providedwith an annular axially directed recess [3 which receives one axial endof a tubular diaphragm Hi. The diaphragm held in the recess by anadhesive I5. On emerging from the mounting ring 9,"the diaphragm I4 isflared, as indicated at 16, and then continues axially and terminates ina radial flange IT. The flange I1 is preferably provided on oppositesides with rudimentary annular. ribs IS.

The flange ll of the diaphragm is adapted to fit over an end of thevalve body I, preferably into a'slight recess l9. Secured overthis endof the'valve body is an end fitting 20 which may constitute the inletfordischarge end of the valve,

" as desired. 'A spring;2 l is interposed between the end'fitting 20 andthe e 'e' i g 9 Within the p ragm [1.4. I

While only one of the;valve passages is shown equipped with our fittingmeans, both passages may --be so' equipped and if there are more thanone inlet or outlet; additional sealing means may be employed.

While metalmay be employed for the mounting ring" 9 it has been-foundextremely satisfactory to construct the-ring from non-metallic material,such as one of the various plastics, a

plastic being s'electedwhich does not reactfwith the fluid which thevalve is designed to control.

The o-ringand-the diaphragm [4 may be formed of-rubberpor preferably: ofsynthetic rubber, and

i by use of the: plastic mounting ring many ad- .hesives areavailable-=which bond both to the mountingring and to the sealing ringor dia- ..I'phragm. =It hasbeenfou'nd that extremely'high .pressuredifferentials may be effectively sealed'by the: sealing means.Furthermore a valve employ- 1 ingiour. sealing means has prov en'verysuccessful in the-handling of gasoline and similar "liquids. Operationofour sealing ring is a follows:

,Assume, first, that thevalve passage 1 is the intake passage and thatthe rotor 3 is in its closed position, in which passage 6 extendstransversely to its position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The internalstatic pressure of the supply fluid expands thediaphra m H intosubstantial conformity with the wall-of the passage 1 and the [end ofthe mounting ring 9. This establishes a pressure area effective to urgethe mounting ring; i

towards the rotor 3 and cause the sealing ring.

to maintain its sealing engagement. "I'he' spring 2| functions to insurethe necessary; initial seal. When the valve is open, the pressurezonopposite sides of the mounting ring and'diaphragm; due

to clearance between the mounting ring and valve a body, is equalized sothat the only force onthe 1 mounting ring is that of the spring 2|. Thusfor all control positions of the valve there is a minimumload on thesealing ring.

If the ass e 7 be he d schar e side of th aive 91 .1 sea in r n remainsf tive: as a se In thisa e th static;flu dpr ssure, by rea on at theeeere e space betwe n h'e'veiv rptehandalve bo y; s applied b h n e e helzeflthe a hragm. lreeus n the. diaphra m :14 to; een trie a ound. the sri 3 I s -deih t e-ax elend ti he m un in r n -for V a-P essiireiarea whch i sui c eht toestah s --au:-h h a ed r e e ur in the meuhting rin ast W591"- tz hehldheeh er eeathetth 'sii th -see e ie ih is sl sh ysma lha th. m unt ng-anew that the meas e may he ap ie behind themeuht h isesmellhysas betw h e pa sa e 1! and the ha ls' ideio the mounting ring metheheh rprevided Thu t wl be ob erv d. t at he ealin -me ihhe e s o iiht heedru eese he he o he i s eeated he N -P26551 t empleyed in nst iati h ie he v l M s w h ta d. 'qhhre shr e en heme-h. th

sealing ring against said rotor, which area is greater than the area offluid pressure acting against the inner end of said mounting ring withinsaid area of sealing engagement, tending to unseat said sealing ring,and Kb) infresponse to pressure in the other port'bleeding past saidrotor through said rotor bore into said one port and between saidtubular wall and mounting ring and-against exterior of said diaphragm,itwill contract to a smaller diameter than that of said area of sealingcontact, whereby to estabz.=-.'lis'h', "in the-space between saiddiaphragm and tubular'wall; fluid pressure acting against the outer-endof said mounting ring, to seat said sealing means; of greater magnitudethan the .sider'h sh ef e al dvehd' meyi he se l hs an h eunte milk norally his- -PiesS i e side Q thee ehe .resorted'.. t without.departingfrom the spirit Qf theinvention, v

. a1 mtaryvalve; a valve body; having in- 5 eh h le s neeisa dp tsmbodying wall. of substantial axial ext t-j; v

' and cooperating therewith todefine an annular space oi; such radialdimensionyandlocation with naference to the area of sealing contactbetween ...said sealing ring and rotor: as to provide: vfor expansion.andcontractiqn of said tubulan diahraehtshet e t ve.=positions in wh ch("a ijin response to. fluid pressurein tsaidc' one portiand' inside saiddiaphragmit. will expand to; a greater? diameter: than said area ofsealing contact, so. as. toestablish anarea of fluidlpres-.'

sure inside saiddiaphragm acting against the 1 outer end oi saidmounting ring tozpress. said ular wall, and shaped at its inner endtocone h f'e dim h e th in ntio ma .17 he tsrand a rotor boreintersecting ring -being of a plastic. material and having an axially;opening annular grooveinto which said one end; of the-tubular diaphragmis cemented,

d al' pa e e at on o i ubular Wall.

65 T /fo l n e heesfeie o or t 1 fitting.

fluid pressure acting against the inner end of said mounting ringoutside said area of sealing engagement, tending to unseat said sealingring, said tubular Wall en a in nd 'e hfi e the :diaphragm, whenexpanded, and said supporting means engagingandsupporting saiddiaphragm, when contracted.

2. A rotary valve as defined in clai n'l, including a fitting secured tothe valve body at -.the endof said one port, and wherein said supportingmeans comprisesa coil spring engaged under a light compression betweenopposed ends offsaid fitting and mounting ring and maintaining sealingen agement of .said sealing: ring withlsaid rotor in the absence offluid pressure. a

3. A valve as defined in claim. 1, including a fitting secured-to thevalve body at the end of said one port, wherein said supporting'meanscomprises. a cylindrical coil spring engaged between opposed ends ofsaid fitting and said -mounting ring, and wherein said tubulardia phragmhas at said other end a radially outwardly extending flange clampedandsealed be- .tween said fitting and said housing end. 40 a 4. A rotaryvalve as defined in claim 1, includin a fitting secured to the valvebody at the endof said one port, and whereinsaid tubular diaphragm hasat its. said other end a radially outwardly extending flange interposedunder compres ion between said valve body andsaid 5. A yalve asdefinedinclaim 1, including a fittingjsecured to the valve body at the end of-.S8,i d one-port, wherein said. supporting. means comprises acylindrical coil springengagedabetween opposed ends of. said. fittingand :said mounting ring, and whereirsaid tubular. diaphragm has at saidother end a radially outwardly extendingv flangeclampedand sealedbetween said. fitting and said housing end; said mounting and saidtubular diaphragm .being of. synthetic ru er. t r ala 'J HOMER H.O'VERHOLSER. MORGAN SWEENEY.

' REFERnNoEscI-mo l Of th s patent TED-sures PA sNgs Number' Date

